According to the June 26 PT Bulletin Online from the APTA, Michigan has passed legislation to license PTAs. Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm signed SB 151 into law on June 25, requiring PTAs to obtain state licensure. With this move, Michigan becomes the 42nd jurisdiction to license PTAs. Thirty-nine other states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico license PTAs, while 8 other states regulate PTAs through certification or registration.

"Our efforts to ensure that physical therapy patients will receive the highest quality care from PTAs have paid off," said Michigan Physical Therapy Association President Jake Jakubiak Kovacek, PT. "We're grateful that our lawmakers recognized the importance of this legislation for patient protection and passed SB 151 in its original form."        

The Bulletin further noted that the Physical Therapy Board of Licensure and Michigan Department of Community Health will move forward with the process of officially stating administrative rules, creating a limited license and distributing that license to qualified PTAs by December 31. The new law also adds term protection for "physiotherapy" and "DPT," and establishes a continuing education requirement as a condition for PT and PTA licensure renewal.

What do you think about this new legislation and how it will impact the physical therapy profession?

With the shift to warm weather, people of all ages start thinking exercise. Before your older patients take their exercise routine outdoors, The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons this week advised baby boomers not to overdo it. In a press release, the AAOS offered the following tips to help boomers prevent exercise-related injuries:

• Check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program. This is especially important if you have had a previous injury.
• Always warm up and stretch before exercising. Cold muscles are more likely to get injured, so warm up with some light exercise for at least three to five minutes.
• Avoid being a "weekend warrior." Moderate exercise every day is healthier and less likely to result in injury than heavy activity only on weekends.
• Do not be afraid to take lessons. An instructor can help ensure you are using the proper form, which can prevent overuse injuries such as tendonitis and stress fractures.
• Develop a balanced fitness program. Incorporate cardio, strength training and flexibility training to get a total body workout and prevent overuse injuries. Also, make sure to introduce new exercises gradually, so you do not take on too much at once.
• Take calcium and Vitamin D supplements daily.
• Listen to your body. As you age, you may not be able to do some of the activities that you did years ago. Pay attention to your body's needs and abilities, and modify your workout accordingly.
• Remember to rest and schedule regular days off from exercise and rest when tired.

What other exercise tips do you offer older patients to keep them safe?

There's an interesting story out of Connecticut from this weekend. It involves a nursing home facing lawsuits for neglecting two patients, both of whom died. In the first, part of the argument is that the client did not receive "medically necessary physical therapy," though no physical therapists are named in the lawsuit.

The story contends that the first client, a 76-year-old man who originally came to the nursing home after a fall in 2005, died of an infection in his legs. Prior to his death, the man refused physical therapy, yet would get up from his bed unattended. Facility staff allegedly took to restraining the patient in bed so he wouldn't get up and hurt himself. Here's an excerpt:

Kyle Wininger said her father didn't want to stay in bed, so he'd ring the bell for help. When it didn't come, he'd get up even though his muscles didn't work properly.

"So he would try to get out of bed and he would fall on the floor," she said. Staff clipped a wire to the front of his shirt that went off if he moved, she said.

"They didn't particularly care for my father," Kyle Wininger said. "He was loud and he was obnoxious and I'm sure there must have been someone there that he didn't care for, because if he didn't like you, he didn't like you."

Many of you have worked with a patient at some point or another who didn't want to do physical therapy or follow instructions, regardless of the setting you're in. How do you handle patients who refuse therapy or refuse to do it as instructed? What would you have done as the physical therapist in this man's case?

Fearon walked out on stage and told the applauding audience, "I feel like a 5-year old who was waiting for Santa Claus." She borrowed a quote from Aristotle to set the tone of her lecture:  "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."

Fearon then went on to explain that major reforms need to be made in the health care system.  Two flaws in the health care system continue to be wasteful spending within the Medicare program and provider reimbursement, she said.

She proposed to disrupt the current model in order to move a payment system that supports effective and efficient value-added care.

"Disruptive business models improve quality access and affordability by changing the way hospitals and office-based practices work," she explained.

What do you think you are worth to a health care system, she asked the audience. What do you think a payer thinks you're worth? Unfortunately, PTs collectively still have a need to communicate how the interventions chosen are related to the functions they wish to insure.

"Are we dangerously close to promoting a profession to the public and the payer that cannot yet live up to its own billing? Are we setting ourselves up for a scenario in which we are over-selling and under-delivering in an environment that is demanding more for less?" she asked.

For more on the Maley Lecture, read our conference wrap in the June 29^th issue of ADVANCE.

The Oxford Debate is held in interactive fashion with one side presenting a 3-minute case and the opposing side offering a rebuttal. Audience participation is encouraged and attendees were told to "switch sides" if they liked what they heard from the panel. It made for a lot of moving around, which made the proceedings more fun.

I love attending this debate, and the topic this year was a hot one: Should the profession of PT simply use the "PT designation and the highest-earned degree only, or should it continue to support numerous credential use after clinicians' names?

Presenting the argument for the elimination of credentials were Robert Landel, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS; Stephen C. McDavitt, PT, DPT, FAPTA, and Robert H. Rowe, PT, DPT, DMT, MHS, FAAOMPT. Presenting the argument for using credentials were Jonathan Cooperman, PT, DPT, JD, MS; Eric Hedegus, PT, DPT, MHSc, OCS, CSCS, and Dianne V. Jewell, PT, DPT, PhD, CSCS.

That is a lot of credentials for just one panel-but each side made a convincing, impassioned and enthusiastic call for their position in the debate. "This has been an argument since I graduated," joked Charles Ciccone, PT, PhD, moderator of the debate.

The "elimination" team went first. "Our profession is defined by our advanced body of knowledge, that is how our distinction is earned," said Dr. McDavitt. "We now have a credible new brand image for PT, and the single designation provides continuity about who we are. While our post-professional development is appreciated, we believe the abbreviations are only appreciated by the profession. We advocate use of the PT designation only." Dr. McDavitt continued to make his point with the help of his panel-mates--and a hilarious reading of "Dr. Seuss' Guide to Utilization of Credentials."

Dr. Jewell rebutted: "If we agree on a uniform set of letters, it should solve the question. Designators help us tell consumers who we are and our scope of services. To whom are we directing our credentials? When I use them people can find my specialties and they know I have research training. Is there some sort of space limit we have? If we use ‘PT' as the first identifier it should clear up any confusion; patients recognize the credentials as specialties, so we need the flexibility to express them."

Dr. Rowe countered: "We obviously place a high value on post-professional training, and the initials are used to help communicate mainly to the health care community what we do and helpo the brand. So we would support a standard set of designators; anything extra just diminishes our impact, leading to confusion. Some might believe the added credentials are necessary to practice in specific disciplines. If the public is to view us as a doctoring profession, we should help them view us as they do doctors-they are first and only MDs, and this should apply to PT as well."

Dr. Hedegus responded: "The use of initials causes confusion? I say they provide clarity!" To make his point, he then read Dr. Martin Luther King's "Let Freedom Ring" speech with no credential letters included (to much applause) and concluded, "Let's use the credentials that are rightly ours in the context that we see fit."

The audience was allowed to chime in and then summations began with Dr. Cooperman for the side of using credentials-quoting Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing". "We have bigger professional fish to fry! Our opposition wants you to believe this affects our profession, but we don't need any more policies from APTA on the use or non-use of credentials. To limit their use is absurd; aren't we regulated enough? The proposition here today is capricious at best and Draconian at worst! Let's allow our professionals to determine how and when to use credentials."

But the non-use argument got the last word by Dr. Landel: ‘While we acknowledge the work and training involved in earning credentials, is a string of alphabet the best way to clarify our achievements if no one knows what they all mean? Is it just for our own marketing? We say list what you have achieved under your name on cards or letterhead, as physicians do. The initials are there for you, not for an audience...let's put patients first and chose clarity over confusion."

In the end, the panel supporting the elimination of credentials--Drs. McDavitt, Rowe and Landel--were crowned the winners of the debate as a majority of the attendees sided (literally) with them. And ADVANCE's only regret is that we didn't get the entire proceedings on videotape; it was a lot of fun and sure to be a popular event at future conferences.

BALTIMORE-Adding to a plethora of activities in Baltimore, the ADVANCE staff attended a reception celebrating Kennedy Krieger Institute's newly opened outpatient center. The state-of-the-art facility was designed to improve and expand the services offered to children and young adults with developmental disabilities and spinal cord injuries.

The six-story, 115,000 square-foot building features the latest technology and is surrounded by extensive healing and therapeutic gardens. The healing garden serves two purposes, according to Laura Jaweed, PT, MS, DPT, director of physical therapy at Kennedy Krieger.

First, the garden is an area where patients, families and employees may retreat to decompress. "The garden helps families handle the stress of illness and disability," Dr. Jaweed shared with ADVANCE.

Second, the garden serves a therapeutic purpose with its many terrains and surfaces for patient navigation. The beautifully constructed area includes a labyrinth, touchable fountains and three "therapy rooms," where therapists can help patients practice real-world challenges such as maneuvering a tight ramp in a wheelchair.

The aquatic center-located on the top floor-features two pools equipped with underwater treadmills, video systems, sensory temperature controls and hydraulic lifts that raise and lower the floors for easy patient access.

The new Kennedy Krieger Institute-founded in 1937-has been in the works for nearly 15 years. The therapists and other staff were instrumental in identifying the need for standout features such as gait assessment and pressure mapping labs, sensory gyms, patient observation spaces equipped with video and audio and a floor dedicated to spinal cord injury patients.

Each floor offers dramatic views of downtown Baltimore and an opportunity to observe the therapy garden. In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, the new space is also practical and kind to the environment. Green elements were incorporated into the building's design to increase efficiency and reduce energy usage.

ADVANCE will be posting photo and video coverage of the tour as well as an exclusive interview with Dr. Jaweed on our Website soon so be sure to check back and let us know what you think!

"What is a brand?" he asked the audience. "It is a promise. It defines expectations. A good brand can be hard to create because it takes a long time to build trust. Brands can also be influenced and are not fully controlled."

Emilio J. Rouco, director of public relations and marketing, later took the podium to discuss the intensive research conducted by APTA to determine how physical therapy professionals are viewed by healthcare consumers and fellow healthcare professionals.

"The good news is that PT professionals are held in high esteem and the relevance of physical therapy is growing. But  there is also some blurriness in the differentiation between physical therapy and other healthcare professions on the part of the general public."

In addition to making it clearer to healthcare consumers exactly what physical therapy is, the APTA is seeking through its brand campaign to occupy a greater "mindshare" among the general public, noted Jennifer Rondon, associate director of public relations.

To find out more about this intriguing look into the future of physical therapy, keep an eye out for an upcoming issue of ADVANCE!

BALTIMORE--Do we really need all of the regulations Medicare and the physician fee schedule places on the PT profession-or do the regulations just make practicing PT more cumbersome and confusing?

Likely a little bit of both, according to the panelists at the 2009 Rothstein Debate, "When Does Regulation Become Over-Regulation, and When Does Under-Regulation Invite Abuse?"

The debate was held June 12, with panelists Larry Benz, PT, DPT, MBA, ECS, OCS, and Stephen Levine, PT, DPT, MSHA.

"Medicare is very complex; what we want to discuss is the concept of regulations and how they apply to us as practitioners," said Anthony J. DeLitto, PT, PhD, FAPTA, moderator for the debate.

Taking the "over-regulation" side of the debate, Dr. Benz said rules and regs are needed, but they tend to creep, and thus the profession ends up with rules on top of more rules. "This tends to demoralize; go into any clinic and you can tell which therapists are treating Medicare patients versus those who aren't. The rules are well-intended but the consequences are rarely discussed. We acquiesce to a certain number that puts a cap on our earnings. Regulation causes many therapists to act immorally," Dr. Benz said.

But Dr. Levine, taking the supporting position on regulations, responded that in essence, regs get a bad reputation that does not always apply. "There are many misconceptions about regulations and why they exist. They provide for some standardization of rules. They are very complex and don't always make sense but the result of not having them can be severe." The profession needs standardization, he said, much like speed limits on roads. "Most PTs operate in a few settings where the rules are transparent. Health care fraud and waste costs millions of dollars every year, so regulations are necessary."

The panelists addressed questions on the cost of deregulation to the PT profession, and whether the APTA and state governing bodies also do enough to influence how regulations are written and applied-and if they should be involved at all.

"The problem is there are too many regulations," Dr. Benz opined. "The pendulum should begin to swing the other way. Only nuclear power control seems to have more than our profession." Dr. Benz said another problem is that bureaucrats to make the rules are "far removed from the therapists and their patients. Autonomy in PT should unshackle practitioners from added rules."

But Dr. Levine said an overabundance of too ambitious regulations "is a myth, a misperception. We can't have things both ways. What we are paid to do is based on one-to-one care of therapist to patient. We can't be paid as if we are doing the service and also are able to use care extenders for example." Through physician-fee regulations and coding on one-to-one care and incident-to examples, others end up determining how PTs get paid, he admitted. "It's like auto insurance. But we can still define how we want to practice; APTA has a position that only PTs and PTAs can provide services."

But regulations end up limiting the profession, Dr. Benz countered. "Physicians don't limit themselves (in payment) in this respect, but PT does," thanks in essence to over-regulation.

Both panelists agreed that the profession needs to better police itself in order to mitigate some rules and that most clinicians try to do the right thing regardless of how they are governed by regs. They also concurred that in some ways, the cost to the profession of not having at least some payment/fraud regulations would be much higher than the costs of implementing regulations and teaching therapists to follow them.

The "Current Controversies: Rothstein Debate" was established annually in memory of Jules Rothstein, PT, PhD, FAPTA, Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of the Journal of Physical Therapy.

Years ago, Dr. Malone stubled upon this gender difference and wanted to find out more about it. In order to attract athletes to his study, he didn't sell the concept on the idea that he was going to prevent injury. "The emphasis was on enhanced performance," he said.

Dr. Malone chose to study ACL injuries in basketball teams across the country. He found that women were 6.19 times more likely to tear their ACL in intercollegiate basketball during a season.

Some factors to consider when comparing male to female ACL injuries:

• Strength (women's hamstrings are not as strong);
• Training;
• Posture (women have a tendency to be more comfortable when vertical);
• Stiffness;
• Hamstring tissue (male/female hamstring flexibility).

The audience was shown various photographs of men versus women in basketball playing postures. All photos showed men in a more flexed position than women. "If you keep your knees down and stay bent, you almost cannot damage your ACL," Dr. Malone told the audience.

"Women tend to demonstrate neuromuscular imbalances," added Dr. Hewett. Women and girls also tend to be more leg and quad dominant than men and boys.

Is it possible to use training and strengthening to help prevent ACL injury, Dr. Malone asked the audience. "Early results show this is possible," he answered.

For a more comprehensive summary on this session, be sure to read our conference wrap coming soon in an ADVANCE print issue.

Her McMillan Lecture, titled "The Best We Can Be is Yet to Come," focused both on the past of physical therapy and more importantly its future. "Thank you for giving me this tremendous honor," she said to open the session. "Preparing for this lecture over the past year has been one of the most daunting tasks I have ever undertaken. There were times that I almost gave up. But it has also been one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life."

In 2009, how can the physical therapy profession reach its full potential? "First, we must invest in building strong academic centers of physical therapy," explained Dr. Winstein. "Second, we must build effective clinical partnerships within our profession. And finally, we must acknowledge the complexity of the situation and develop strong interdisciplinary relationships with other professions. Let's stop pulling the patient into different parts. We are all passionate about our profession and its future."

Keep an eye out for a more extensive summary of this fascinating session in a future issue of ADVANCE!

Gingrich addressed a full crowd on June 10, emphasizing that if all parties were involved in reforming health care across the country, something would actually get done. He started with a (seemingly) rhetorical question: "How many of you think you know more about helping people and getting them can than...members of Congress? Than the bureaucrats at CSM?" he asked to laughter from the audience.

He spoke about his established Center for Health Transformation, which he founded to get dialogue going about reforming health care models. "We have more scientists and technology today in health care than ever. In 25 years until 2034, we could see four times as much change," he said, comparing the time to people in 1980 trying to comprehend the changes today. "How does this matter? Because it means every day that goes by there are new leaders with knowledge to advance."

Gingrich emphasized that PTs and PTAs help patients discover "disabilities to capabilities. I have great respect for what you all do," he said, recounting how his daughter worked to overcome rheumatoid arthritis and now lives a fuller live than when she was first diagnosed. "You have a greater capacity to help people live their lives,' he said, emphasizing that any reforms to health care delivery and costs need to keep this at the forefront. "The question is, how would we design a system to help people, rather than just subsidize them?"

He said health care providers for one need to rethink continuing education, "so it is a 24/7 endeavor; there are so many breakthroughs that occur every year, if they are not addressed, many will end up behind the curve."

Gingrich said when everyone talks about health care reform, the emphasis is always first on the money, the funding. "That is really only the fourth box" within the continuum, he stressed. "The first is addressing the individual, then society, then the delivery system. "Patient involvement is the first key; the goal is the individual should know his health status and be a leader in a team effort on his own health."

He said the Center advocates five-day per week K-12 physical education-which got much audience applause-and schools rethinking what they provide for children for lunches in school as good ways to get young people to start "eating intelligently and leading healthy lives."

As another example, Gingrich said research has shown that people who saw PTs to solve their lower back pain problems ended up not needing further treatments. "In a great number of cases, it solved the problem before it got worse."

As for changes on the health care political landscape, Gingrich said, "one giant bill will never pass. When someone writes a bill, all groups examine it to see what parts of that bill will affect their own profession."

Washington's annual budget is "totally political, penny-wise and pound-foolish. We have to rethink that fourth box, to emphasize wellness and reducing chronic conditions to get the least expensive care possible. The challenge for America is not to lose that right to health care," that everyone deserves, Gingrich said.

The emphasis needs to move from merely funding acute care treatments to treating chronic conditions, Gingrich stated. "Every day that we are trapped in this current health system, we emphasize the wrong things at the wrong time. This is not only a political cost, but also more importantly, a human and economic one. I believe at the Center we have to refocus the system into helping people recover and lead better lives in the first place. We would be very interested in talking with APTA about it, and result in major cost savings to people who need to access PT."

Dr. Ward mentioned that the city is home to many of the top research and medical facilities, such as Johns Hopkins University medical school and research center. "We thank the Maryland chapter for their enthusiasm and support for inviting us here."

Dr. Ward then recalled a moment that he said changed his life. Twenty years ago he encountered a patient, a man he called an "icon" of his, who had been badly burned. As a result, he had acute and ongoing mobility problems. "Over the course of our work together, he declared something that shaped the work I do. He said to me, ‘thanks for helping me see my possibilities.' His recovery was remarkable and I was humbled as I watched as he constantly fought to recover. He continues to work today in the very area where he was injured."

It is inspiration sush as this that PTs and PTAs should take to work every day, Dr. Ward said. "We all have one thing in common: our essence of our work is that we see possibilities and help others do the same. We can identify potential and help people see their own potential. Our job is to honor the possibilities, not discourage them."

Therapists can be exposed to many "pundits" who "believe their views are always right" when it comes to having a voice in the health care arena, Dr. Ward stated. "But complex issues are not simple, and dogmatism is common to extremes."

The profession aims to seek "meaningful dialogue" on delivery of health care, he said. "We should be a part of the national debate and rise above dogma to come to sensible conclusions. Our challenge is to make sure patients have and know they have direct access to our important services," he said to applause. "And all people should be insured to receive therapy delivered only by licensed PTs and PTAs."

Physical therapists promote health through prescriptive goal-oriented activity and prevention efforts, and use evidence-based decision making to create goals for patients, Dr. Ward stressed. "We are part of this ongoing conversation on health care, on what it is today and what it will become. The possibilities for improving care are remarkable."

He stressed that those involved in the health care reform dialogue "must resist the negative pull" of politics and societal influences and "do what we have always done-instill real hope in our patients."

The last time I was in Baltimore I was struck by how open and inviting the city was, especially the Inner Harbor area. There was a lot to explore but since I was on a business trip at the time I didn't have a lot of free opportunity to see the town outside of a few conference events.

This time around, I hope to get so some of the great seafood restaurants the city boasts and maybe take in a ballgame at Camden Yards (after conference hours of course!)

I also hope to see a lot of PT and PTA friends of ADVANCE. If you are attending the conference, drop by and see us at Booth #310 in the Exhibit Hall. I welcome everyone's thoughts on the magazine and our website and any story ideas you have. It is nice to put faces with names and meet therapists we might have talked to for sources in our stories.

See you there!

Wednesday, June 10, 5:30-7 p.m. Opening Ceremonies
PT 2009 kicks off with APTA President R. Scott Ward, PT, PhD, highlighting the advances and challenges to the profession of physical therapy as well as the work of the association. The Keynote Address will be presented by Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995-1999. According to the APTA, Gingrich has invigorated the debate over health care policy in a bipartisan manner.

Thursday, June 11, 6:45-7:45 a.m. First-Timers Guide to Navigating the Annual Conference
This new event will offer first-time APTA national conference attendees the opportunity to meet the committee that planned the event as well as learn tips on maximizing the conference experience. Free coffee will be ­provided.

11 a.m.-12 noon 40th McMillan Lecture
The McMillan Lecture represents APTA's highest honor. This year it will feature speaker Carolee J. Winstein, PT, PhD, FAPTA, and the theme, "The Best We Can Be is Yet to Come." For the past 22 years, Dr. Winstein's collaborative and interdisciplinary research program and publications have focused on motor control, rehabilitation and recovery of goal-directed behaviors.

12 noon-2 p.m. Unopposed Exhibit Hours
Take a look at the latest equipment offered by industry leaders and investigate job opportunities in the field. All posters will also be available for viewing during exhibit hall hours, with discussions held Thursday and Friday

5-7 p.m.-Honors and Awards
Celebration of newly elected Catherine Worthingham Fellows and 2009 Association Awards recipients

For more debates, lectures and ceremonies taking place this week, read our calendar's full list of events. And follow these tips from the preview edition of PT09 Daily News to make the most of this year's conference:

• Review the program
• Establish specific goals
• Plan meetings and events with colleagues
• Network with colleagues
• Use your business cards
• Tour the exhibit hall
• Keep notes

Can't make it to PT 2009? Visit www.advanceweb.com/pt for daily photo galleries and live conference blogging. We'll also post videos of key people from this year's conference when we return!

That is definitely the spirit of the two debates held each year at APTA's annual conference. I have had the opportunity to attend many of them and can say that the best flow of ideas comes from not only the qualified speakers but also the attendees. Everyone gets into the questioning which makes every topic more interesting.

This year two particularly interesting topics are the subjects on the floor. On Friday, June 12 at the conference, "Current Controversies- The 2009 Rothstein Debate" addresses the question, "When Does Regulation Become Over-Regulation, and When Does Under-Regulation Invite Abuse?" Medicare regulation--some say 'over-regulation'--and reimbursement cuts by all payers affect the business of physical therapy. But what are the effects on clinical practice and professionalism? Payment is different for hospital-based versus outpatient-based practice; what might be the impact of continued payment under the Medicare Fee Schedule?

Under Medicare rules, and as an APTA position, the only extender of physical therapy services is the physical therapist assistant; what would be the benefits of utilizing other extenders based on patient type?

The annual Rothstein Debate was established in memory of Jules Rothstein, PT, PhD, FAPTA, Editor in Chief Emeritus of Physical Therapy (PTJ). This year the debate speakers are Larry N. Benz, PT, DPT, MBA, ECS, OCS, of Louisville, KY, and Stephen M. Levine, PT, DPT, MSHA, of  Wilton Manors, FL.

On a less serious note, also on Friday, APTA also offers its second annual Oxford Debate, and it isn't to be missed. Both entertaining and informative, an Oxford debate is similar to British Parliamentary debate, pitting two teams of three making the arguments both for and against the question. Each team selects an opening speaker, a second "rebuttal" speaker and a third "summator" speaker for their respective arguments, and the audience comprises the "floor," allowed to ask questions of each panel before the summator speakers wrap up. Competitors are encouraged to maintain civility but also to debate with "animation, passion and creativity," according to traditional Oxford rules.

This year the topic is, "Is the use of multiple credentials a distraction or an attraction to our profession?" ADVANCE has received many letters to the editor on this very topic so this promises to be a very lively debate. Chairperson Charles D. Ciccone, PT, PhD, moderates the pro-elimination (of credentials) team of Robert Landel, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS; Stephen C. F. McDavitt, PT, DPT, FAAOMPT, and Robert H. Rowe, PT, DPT, DMT, MHS, FAAOMPT, and the con-elimination team of Jonathan Cooperman, DPT, MS, JD; Eric J. Hegedus, DPT, OCS, MHSc, CSCS, and Dianne V. Jewell, PT, DPT, PhD, CCS.

If you are attending PT 2009 in Baltimore this year, my suggestion is to try to attend one or both of these debates. You won't be disappointed.